9 
oysters actually at the places investigated. The standards 8 X 3 and 7 X 3 have 
therefore been specially experimented with on the oysters obtained by these me- 
thods of fishing. 
We might now say, to make the matter more easily understood, that the 
pole-dredged oysters are full-grown at (7) 8 cm., those obtained by diving at 8 (9) 
cm., the dredged oysters at 8 (9) cm. All oysters which are at least ca. 8 cm. 
and above should really be fished for; but the present standard allows only ca. 
1/,th of those at 8 cm. and only 70'/, of those at 9 cm. to be taken. 
No investigations from earlier times are known to me which 
would in any way indicate that just this standard of 8 X 3 cm. is the 
correct one. Professor Eschricht and the Government always held to a smaller 
standard in earlier years. 
The statistics for the years 1870—1877 give us distinct evidence that 
many of the large oysters occured at that time in the fjord, as ca. 45 millions of 
them were fished during the 7 years; but then they seem to have decreased in 
number, not that they were all fished out, but the regulation that a boat must be 
able to take at least 1000 of them in one day made further fishery for them im- 
possible. I do not believe in the rumours that a storm and flood with ice to aid 
them destroyed this stock; all evidence of this is quite wanting. It has been said 
that many dead but still connected shells were found on the banks, but such are 
found every year. Whether they have just died or have lain on the bottom for 
several years cannot be determined, as the soft parts of the oyster soon disappear 
when the oyster dies so that no trace of them can be found a few days after. 
This point has been investigated by placing dead oysters on the banks at Fegge- 
klit. Within three days all the shells had been cleaned by the flesh-eating animals: 
gastropods, crabs and worms; even within 10 hours all the soft parts had been 
completevely removed. I judge of the conditions in the seventies in this way, 
that a drecrease in the stock of the large old oysters could really be noticed; I 
belive that a vearly fishery of ca. 6 million is quite respectable, especially if 
regard is taken for the restrictive regulation of 1000 oysters per boat per day. 
This regulation was probably introduced in part because it did not pay to fish 
when so many could not be taken as a rule. We have here therefore some 
evidence of what the Lim Fjord can vyield in this way: 6 million of old oysters 
each year for 7 years. All foreign countries and also in part our own have now 
become accustomed to eat smaller oysters; the Dutch and English small oysters 
flood the present markets over the whole of North Europe; and the duty in foreign 
countries favours to a great extent the small oysters, being per kg. and not per 
oyster; lastly, what is of most importance to Denmark, we would clearly produce 
several millions of oysters with a smaller standard size than the present. If we 
only enrolled soldiers of 72 inches and above, we should have many fewer than 
if we took them down to 64 inches; similarly with oysters; if as at present we 
only take those about 9 cm. we have relatively few; a reduction of 1 cm. in the 
standard would give many more. A reduction from 9 to 8 cm. would be for 
oysters just the same as a reduction from 72 to 64 inches for the soldiers, as 
12—, The oysters are so short that 1 cm. is of verv great importance. 
In order to test how a smaller standard of 7 x 3 cm. would work com- 
9 
